Ventilating range hood



Dec. 6, 1960 s. M. BERNSTEI'N VENTILATING RANGE Hoon 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 Dec. 6, 1960 s. M. BERNSTEIN 2,962,955

VENTILATING RANGE Hoon Filed sept. 2e, 1957 2 sheets-sheet z VENTILATnvG .RANGE Hoon Samuel M.V Bernstein, Winnetlra, Ill. (3050 N. Rockwell St., Chicago, Ill.)

Filed Sept. 26, V1957, Ser. No. `685,381

l6 Claims. (Cl. 98.-115) This invention relates to improvements in Ventilating range hoods of the type frequently used in connection with blower-exhaust fans for collecting and exhausting to the outside atmosphere the cooking vapors, greases, smoke and odors normally resulting from the use of cooking ranges for cooking purposes; said hoods being of the type disclosed in my co-pending application, now Patent 2,807,994 entitled Ventilating Range Hood. More specifically, this invention relates to improvements enabling ready adoption and mounting of the hood in connection with blower exhaust fans of various designs and under varying conditions of location, and the like. This application comprises a continuation-impart of the aforementioned co-pending application.

As was disclosed in the aforementioned cog-pending application, the most eicient use of Ventilating range hoods is in connection with exhaust fans or blower units which are normally mounted in the bottom compartment of kitchen wall cabinets with the intake end of the unit mounted in the top of the Ventilating range hood so that the odors, vapors, smoke, etc., can be readily collected by the fan rand then exhausted to` the outside atmosphere. As was disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending application the range hood was provided with proper electrical wiring adapted to be readily connected to the ex- 'haust fan unit and further having switches provided in the front of the hood in readily accessible position.

Ventilating exhaust fan units are of two general types or shapes; namely, rectangular and round. In order to accommodate the various types of exhaust fan units it was heretofore necessary to provide and maintain in stock Ventilating range hoods having either round or rectangular cutouts formed in the top of the range hood.

As was further disclosed in the aforementioned copending application, depending upon the design, structure, and condition of the kitchen, cabinet, and range, the loca.- tion of the blower unit also v-aried and could be positioned` either on the right hand side or the left hand side of the kitchen range hood. Thus, it was also necessary to further provide and maintain a stock of hoods having not only both round or rectangular openings, but furthermore having these openings positioned either on the right hand side or the left hand side. Considering further the various types of finishes and sizes of range hoods, it is readily apparent that the combinations were almost unlimited in number so that the burden of maintaining a suiiiciently complete stock of Ventilating range hoods was indeed a real problem.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide an improved Ventilating range hood which will overcome all o-f the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove.

Another object is to alford a Ventilating range hood having means enabling a single hood to be universally adapted to accommodate therein either a rectangular or circular shaped appliance and further enabling the ventilating range hood to accommodate either of such types v'ofnppliances positioned on either the rig-ht or left hand iside of the Ventilating range hood as necessary.

2,962,955 patented Dec. l1960 As Was previously mentioned, Ventilating range hoods are provided with pre-wired electrical circuits enabling the ready connection of the blower exhaust fan into the Ventilating range hood. For maximum safety and convenience, it has been found that the wiring box is best positioned adjacent the top cut-out portion in which the exhaust fan unit is mounted. Since, as was mentioned hereinabove, the Ventilating range hood is designed to accommodate exhaust fan units positioned either on the right or left hand side of the hood, it is obvious that means must be provided enabling positioning of the Wiring box similarly on either the Vright or left hand side of the hood.

It is therefore another important object of this invention to provide means enabling the wiring box to be selectively and readily positioned either on the right or left hand side of the hood in accordance with the positioning of the exhaust fan unit in order -to enable ready connection of the unit into the circuit Without necessitating excessive alteration to accomplish the same.

A further object is to afford a single switch box mounted on moveable means capable of moving the wiring box from the left hand side to the right hand side or vice versa and further providing means for conducting the various electrical leads from the switch means to the blower exhaust fan unit. The aforementioned means may further be utilized to connect the circuit to a power source.

A further object is to afford a Ventilating range hood designed for ready association with an exhaust fan unit.

Still a further object is to atto-rd a Ventilating range hood which may be readily installed with the least possible effort and skill and requiring no special tools for such installation` Finally, another object is to provide a Ventilating range hood of the type hereinabove described which is of simple inexpensive construction, yet attractive, sturdy and having universal application.

With t-he foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that Various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For lche purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several iigures of `the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a Ventilating range hood embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View shoving the Ventilating range hood installed beneath the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet with the exhaust fan unit positioned on the left hand side of the hood;

Fig. 3 is a similar View but showingthe exhaust fan unit mounted on the opposite side of the range hood;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the hood looking up from the bottom of the same;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of theV removable hood top member alone;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional side View of a corner by a straight vertical back wall 12 having integrally formed straight side walls such as 14 in turn integrally formed with inwardly and forwardly inclined front side wall segments such as 16. A downwardly and forwardly sloping top front hood segment 18 is positioned atop the side segments 16. A front panel 20 is positioned to cooperate with the end segments 16 and the front top segment 18 to afford an enclosure within which may be mounted various appliances, instruments, and devices, as will be more fully disclosed as the description proceeds.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 of the drawings that the side members 16 are formed with top marginal edges such as 22 bent inwardly to afford means for mounting thereon the front top member 18 which in turn then may be secured to the marginal anges 22 by any conventional means, as for example, rivets 24. Similarly, the front vertical edges of the side members 16 may be flanged inwardly as at 26 to afford means for securing thereto the front panel 20 (see Fig. 4).

In manner similar to the foregoing, the top marginal edges of the rear side members 14 may be flanged inwardly as at 28, and the top marginal edge of the rear wall 12 may likewise be flanged inwardly as at 30, thereby aording a three-sided horizontal marginal ange the purpose of which will be disclosed as the description proceeds (see Fig. l).

It may be recalled that in the aforementioned co-pending patent application, the top wall of the hood was integrally formed with the sides and rear to comprise an integral part of the hood. It was in this top wall that cutouts were provided for the exhaust fan units. Because the top was integral with the rest of the hood, it was necessary to provide separate hoods with proper cutouts properly positioned for each installation. Since one such hood was capable of being used only in that installation in which the exhaust fan unit was of the shape and type for which the hood opening was designed and in which the same was capable of being positioned on the side of the hood for which that particular hood was designed, obviously any change in these factors or conditions necessitated use of a different hood. Hence, in order to make a single hood universal and capable of accommodating blower units of various shapes and in various positions, the Ventilating range hood is provided with a removable hood top member 32 (Fig. 5 of the drawings) and comprising a thin sheet metal panel of suitable size and shape enabling the same to be mounted on the flanges 28 and 30 to effectively enclose the hood as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The panel 32 is provided with a rectangular opening 34 blanked out by shearing but with the blank retained in position by spaced narrow shoulders or breakoff points such as 36. Breakoff openings such as 37 are formed adjacent said position 36. Thus, if the rectangular opening is to be used, blank 34 may be readily removed by inserting a tool in the openings 36 so that a mere twist will break through the shoulder 37. In the opposite side of the panel a circular blank 3S is provided, likewise sheared but retained in position by breakol points such as 39. Similar tool insert openings such as 40 are provided adjacent the points 39. Thus, it will readily be perceived that either of the two blanks may beselectively removed as desired.

It will be readily be perceived that top panel 32 may be reversibly mounted so that the rectangular and circular openings 34 and 38 may be readily reversed in position from right to left or left to right, as the case may be. Thus, if conditions are such that a rectangular fan blower F must be mounted on the right hand side of the hood, (as viewed in Fig. 1 of the drawings) all that need be done is to reverse the top panel so that the rectangular opening is then positioned on the right hand side of the hood.

In order to facilitate ready mounting and reversal of the top panel 32, the panel is provided with bayonet type openings such as 42 positioned in each corner of the panel. Flanges 28 are in turn each provided with a bayonet lug or headed bolt such as 44 complementarily positioned one in each corner so that the bayonet lug or head 44 may be readily inserted through the enlarged portion 46 of the bayonet opening and then the panel moved so that the head is positioned within the narrow portion 48 of the bayonet opening 42. In this manner, the panel is readily mounted in position, centered, and then secured. If desired, additional bolts such as 50 may be utilized for more rmly securing the panel in position.

It should be appreciated that the hood is normally mounted below a bottom shelf S of a kitchen cabinet K (Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings) with the top panel 32 abutting the bottom surface of the shelf S. The fact that the blower unit openings are partially sheared through does not materially affect the usefulness or appearance of the hood since this portion of the hood is completely hidden from view.

It was previously indicated that under the front portion of the hood and in back of the front panel 20, an enclosure was provided, as indicated by reference numeral 52. This enclosure comprises a housing having positioned therein various ixtures and devices which may include, for example, a radio 54 having a loud speaker 56 positioned in the front top wall 18. Also positioned in said enclosure 52 is a switch control device 58 having push buttons such as 60 protruding through the front panel 20. The housing 52 is closed by a bottom plate 62 and access to the various fixtures and devices positioned therein is provided by suitable access means as for example, hinged panels and doors such as 64 and 66.

As was previously mentioned, various appliances and control means are connected into pre-wired circuits which include means enabling the exhaust fant unit F to be readily connected into such circuits after the same has been mounted in the top hood opening 34 or 38. Such means include suitable leads which may be positioned in a protective conduit or tube such as 68. One end of the conduit 68 may be connected by means of a screw threaded lock nut 70 to the housing 52. The other is similarly connected by means of a nut such as 72 to a wiring box 74. The threaded nut 70 permits the conduit 68 to be swiveled or moved so that its outer end portion 76 may be positioned either adjacent the right hand or left hand side of the hood, as desired. The wiring box 74 is positioned on the side adjacent the circular top opening 38 and on the right hand side of the hood, as viewed in said Fig. 4. It is apparent, therefore, that circular opening 38 is to be utilized for mounting therein an exhaust fan F; however, if the exhaust fan were a rectangular one and was to be positioned on the left hand side of the hood, the wiring box 74 could be readily positioned adjacent the left side of the hood by merely loosening the lock nut 70 and swiveling the con duit 68 to the left hand position.

In order to further facilitate changing the position of the wiring box 74, the box 74 is provided with top and bottom flanges such .as 78 which flanges are adapted to be positioned adjacent the hood rear wall 12 and the top panel 32. Simple screw means such as 80 may then be used to readily mount the wire box in position. It should also be noted that the hood top plate 32 is provided with pairs of circular openings such as 82, positioned one pair at each rear corner of the plate 32. These openings are adapted to be aligned with similar conduit knockout openings formed in the top of the wiring box 74 and also with similar aligned conduit knockout openings 84 formed in a face plate 86 which may be secured to the top panel 32 by any suitable means, as for example, rivets 88. In order to even further facilitate the making of electrical connections with either a power source or an appliance, conduit openings 83 are formed in the rear wall 12. These openings are then closed by a face plate 90 having aligned knockout conduit openings 92 formed therein.

It will, thus, be apparent that to connect the exhaust fan unit F to the electrical circuit of the hood, all that need be done is to insert the leads from the fan F through either the top or rear wire box openings. The ends of the leads may then` be connected to the ends of the circuit leads, thereby completing the circuit. Obviously power source leads may be similarly connected.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided an improved Ventilating range hood having means enabling its universal application .and installation under verying conditions so that a single hood may be readily adapted to accommodate any of the known types of exhaust fan units and may further be readily adapted to accommodate such units whether the installation is such that the unit must be positioned either to the right or the left hand side of the hood.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention -as defined in the appended claims. j

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a Ventilating range hood adapted for use in connection with an exhaust fan unit for collecting and exhausting the fumes and smoke from a cooking range; an elongated hood housing having at least a backwall, a pair of side walls and a front Wall defining an enclosure, a planar top panel member removably mountable to afford a top wall for said hood, the marginal edges of said top panel connected to at least two of said walls, said top panel having a plurality of readily removable knockout blanks of varying sizes and shapes which are such as to provide spaces for accommodating in one or the other thereof an exhaust fan unit, and said top panel being readily reversible to reverse the position of said knock-out blanks, said knock-out blanks comprising a rectangular shaped blank formed adjacent one end of said panel and a circular blank formed in spaced relationship therewith adjacent the Vother end, each of said blanks being sheared through except for a plurality of narrow break-off points spaced one from the other and encircling the periphery of said blank, Iand said blank formed with tool insert openings aligned with said break olf points.

2. The Ventilating range hood of claim 1 in which a second elongated housing is positioned adjacent the back of said front wall, said second housing being divided into a plurality of compartments, a plurality of appliances and switch control means positioned one in each of said compartments.

3. The Ventilating range hood of claim 2 in which prewired circuits are positioned in said hood and said exhaust fan unit has leads, said circuits including leads adapted to be connected with the leads of said exhaust fan unit, and means enabling the location of said circuit `leads to be changed in accordance with the location of the leads of said exhaust fan unit.

4. The Ventilating range hood of claim 3 in which said last mentioned means comprises a wiring box attachable to one of said walls adjacent either of said knock-out blanks and a conduit connecting said wiring box to said second elongated housing, said conduit capable of being swiveled from one side of said hood to the other, said circuit leads being threaded through said conduit.

5. A Ventilating range hood comprising an elongated sheet metal housing dened by a back-wall, a pair of straight rear side walls, a pair of inwardly and forwardly inclined front side walls, a front wall and a front top wall, all of said walls cooperating to afford an enclosure, a compartmented housing positioned beneath the apex of said front wall and front top wall, a plurality of appliances mounted in said compartmented housing, said appliances comprising a radio receiver set, an illuminating light fixture and a push button switch control unit, a removable rear planar top panel reversibly mountable to complete the top wall of said hood, said top panel having a plurality of partially sheared knock-out y blanks which are readily removable to afford spaces within which may be mounted an exhaust fan.

6. In a Ventilating range hood adapted for use in connection with an exhaust fan unit for collecting and exhausting the fumes and smoke from a cooking range, said exhaust fan unit having leads; an elongated hood housing defined by a back wall, a pair'of straight rear side walls, a pair of inwardly and forwardly inclined front side Walls, a front wall and a front top wall, all of said walls combined to afford an enclosure, a compartmented housing positioned beneath the apex of said front wall and front top wall, a plurality of appliances mounted in said housing, said appliances comprising a radio receiver set,

an illuminating light xture and a push button switch control unit, said rear side walls and rear wall formed with horizontal top ilanges, a removable rear top panel mounted on said flanges and aixed thereto with removable means to complete the top wall of the hood, said top panel formed with a partially-sheared rectangular knock-out blank adjacent one end and a circular partiallysheared knock-out blank adjacent the other, said panel reversible whereby to reverse the positions of said knockout blanks, said blanks removable to afford spaces for mounting said exhaust fan unit therein, pre-wired circuits positioned in said hood, said circuits including leads adapted to be connected with the leads of said exhaust fan unit, a wiring box removably mountable in either of the apexes `of the upper rear corners of said hood, and a conduit connecting said wiring box to said compartmented housing, the ends of said conduit being screwthreaded whereby to enable said conduit and wiring box to be swiveled and moved from one side of said hood to the other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,509 Knell Ian. 21, 1936 2,310,843 Ditzler Feb. 9, 1943 2,349,668 Marker et al. May 23, 1944 2,355,845 Blank Aug. 15, 1944 2,710,573 Marker June 14, 1955 2,807,994 Bernstein Oct. 1, 1957 OTHER REFERENCES Berns Price List No. 141, effective Nov. 1, 1955 (2 sides), 3050 N. Rockwell St., Chicago 18, 111. 

